As a Christian Union, we are part of a nationwide movement called UCCF which unites most of the Christian Unions at universities and colleges around the country. The main purpose of being a Christian Union is to make the most of the unique opportunity we have to reach out to our campus with the gospel. This is achieved through actively engaging in mission on the campus as well as maturing as Christians to be better equipped to reach out:
Mission - means that we are to be witnesses for Christ starting where we are, and then moving out to more and more people. That's what Jesus meant in Acts 1:7-11. For you this means that starting in university, telling friends about what you believe, and living godly lives that support what you say. Doing this is easier and more effective with a group. Even three or four people working together can, with God's help, make a big impact (check out: Acts 13:4ff).
Maturity - the apostle Paul prayed regularly for the church at Colossae. He said:
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every good way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God...' -- Colossians 1:10
We too need to grow up in our faith, as we get to know God better as we read His word, and by talking to Him in prayer. We also grow by helping one another other in this.
We are united by our common Christian beliefs, as stated in the doctrinal basis, but we recognise that there is still a wide spectrum of beliefs on issues not quite as central to the message of Jesus, as we are interdenominational. This means that we don't endorse any one denomination's set of beliefs but value the diversity that the different backgrounds of our members bring to the life of CU.
Our common beliefs combined with the aim of mission and maturity is the basis around which we build as a CU. We then have to consider what this looks like in practice, and hopefully this booklet will help you to understand the motivation for what we do in CU, and help you to find here you could best serve God. The following diagram aims to show how these different elements are brought together:
UCCF Vision: Making disciples of Jesus Christ in the student world by pursing mission and maturity.
Clear aims such as these are vital:
As a CU we are passionate about involving all our members and encouraging them to explore and express their gifting. The exec exists to serve the Cu and to prayerfully consider what is involved in the life of the CU. However, we want everyone to work together and get excited about all God has in store for us, by doing this we can be much more effective in serving Him.
There are lots of areas that make CU what it is, and we want to outline the purpose behind these and our vision for them here:
In Saturday Nights we will be looking at practical issues related to students, ensuring we have sound Biblical teaching as well as being relevant, applicable and challenging. This will in turn equip us for our mission on campus. Every Saturday night we meet corporately as a CU to worship, pray and learn from God's word. This is another important part in the life of CU and is used to prepare and equip us for going out during the week in all we may face and as we 'live the life'. Saturday Night is an opportunity to have fellowship together and encourage each other in our individual gifting.
We want to encourage everyone in CU to be actively involved in Saturday Nights and so aim to make them more informal and interactive, allowing room for individuals to express their worship to God in a way that suits them whilst being sensitive to those around us.
Saturday Nights provide us with a time to come together and share in all God is doing through the CU, any feedback or comments are appreciated as we strive to make Saturday Nights a place where we can all grow and be challenged by God.
Prayer is one of the most powerful tools God has given us. Through prayer we engage with God in a unique and exciting way. Get passionate about prayer and God will move. Get passionate about prayer and things will happen. Get excited and bring it on. God is waiting for us to come to Him!
We want to be a praying CU, pressing into God! There are many ways you can get involved...
24/7 Prayer is something you will probably have heard of. A week where we commit to prayer for our campus 24 hours a day. Hopefully we will be doing this from 8-15th October, lifting to God all that this year holds and waiting on Him. An awesome week!
Department Prayer is a way that you can be covering your department in prayer - how excited! The vision is to have the whole University being prayer for, it is an amazing opportunity to pray for your course mates and support each other.
Prayer meetings - Every week the CU come together to pray. This is an awesome time of corporate prayer and is vital in the life of CU.
Prayer triplets are encouraged within cell groups and friendship groups as they are a great means of support, accountability and sharing in your walk with God.
Prayer Ministry is a way you can be trained and grow in your confidence to pray with both friends and people you may not know, in CU and life!
"...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" -- John 10:10
This year Choose Life invaded the campus of Leeds Uni! This mission week was an awesome time of spreading the Gospel to students on campus. The week was made up of lunch bars, evening events including a jazz café, Mexican night, as well as cold contact, dialogue dinners and much more! It was incredible to see the Cu come together united in reaching lost people on the campus with the truth of Jesus! This is something we want to see more of and as we look into the next year lets get excited about all the opportunities we will have in mission...
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." -- Romans 1:16
The time we spend at university is an amazing opportunity to share the Gospel with those around us. People, having left their home environment, are faced with many issues they have to think through, and as Christians we have the responsibility to share the hope that we have by pointing them towards God. The role of the evangelism secretary is to help you make the most of this amazing opportunity by coordinating, equipping and encouraging personal and corporate evangelism, by providing training, support and a frame in which people can exercise the gifts God has given them for his Glory. There are a number of teams being built at the moment, around lunch bars, follow-up, promotions, organising big events, etc. Getting involved in these teams (or more if you have any more ideas of what could be done!) is a great way to grow as we serve. A few seminars on starting Gospel conversations, doing cold contact evangelism and how to present the Gospel in a clear way will also be taking place throughout the year. If you are interested in getting involved in any of these aspects, please get in touch!
There are thousands of international students coming to Leeds every year to study, and what an awesome opportunity to make friends and reach them with the Gospel! There are many ways you can get involved... The Living Room International Café, Introduction to Jesus and the Bible course, hospitality scheme, and of course International Freshers week! Also assisting in supporting those who go on placement abroad next year.
What is so exciting about the work of international students?
1. The gospel is being taken back to different closed countries when the International students return home!
2. Working alongside a team of amazing Christian students!
As a CU we run two weeks for Freshers, International Freshers Week and then main Freshers Week. During these and two weeks we have a tent opposite the Union. Our aim as a CU for the tent is this:
1. To welcome Christian students to Leeds Uni and get the students who want to be involved in CU plugged into CU.
2. To welcome non-Christians to Leeds Uni and share with them the gospel of Christ.
During the weeks there will be Lunch bars, evening events (jazz café / gig / pub quiz etc), cold-contact and general welcoming and chatting in the tent!
The House Party is a weekend away for the whole of the CU. It includes seminars, teaching, worship, entertainment and an amazing opportunity to meet new people! House party takes place at Quinta in Shropshire in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wonderful countryside. The weekend away gives you a chance to get away from uni life and chill out, meet with God and make friendships that last throughout your time at uni as well as allowing you to really catch the vision the CU has for mission and maturity. House party is the event in the year you really don’t want to miss out on!
Cells are a unique opportunity within the heart of CU as they incorporate both the Mission and Maturity, which is at the heart of our vision statement. To incorporate the Maturity aspect, Cells meet regularly to study the Bible together and encourage one another in the growth of their faith. Also Cells are to be outward looking, constantly seeking ways to share the gospel. They are able to invite people to the Cell and therefore it can grow, multiply and eventually divide. Cell co-ordinators work to support, advise and train the Cell leaders to make such an important task possible.
Cells are an integral part of CU life and provide an opportunity to take out what is being learnt together in CU, applying issues to life and witnessing to friends in halls. It is such an important time of sharing and growing together, being able to support and encourage each other.
Although there are lots of different areas, they are all part of a whole and are integral to the working of CU. We want to finish off on a verse which encapsulates much of our thinking about what God might want to do through CU next year.
"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 (NIV)
As a CU we long to grow in our relationship with God and lead lives that honour Him. We want to be people that are ‘living the life’, radically, all out for Him! This will mean striving to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God whilst actively reaching out to those who don’t know Him.
LUUCU Vision:
"As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him." -- 2 Samuel 22:31 (NASB)
